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President Donald Trump told NBC News on Wednesday he was the one who made the decision to pull hundreds of federal law enforcement agents from Minneapolis following the fatal shootings of two city residents last month, noting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could “use a little bit of a softer touch.”
White House border czar Tom Homan announced earlier Wednesday 700 federal agents would be departing the Twin Cities, with the end goal of a “complete drawdown.”
In an interview with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas in the Oval Office, Trump clarified he did not “want” to pull officers from the blue state, but described a trade-off for illegal immigrant prisoners.
“It didn’t come from me because I just wanted to do it,” Trump said. “We are waiting for them to release prisoners, give us the murderers that they’re holding, and all of the bad people … We allowed in our country, I say 25 million people, with an open border policy for four years under Biden and that group, the auto-pen group, I call them. We allowed [them] to come into our country, people the likes of which no country would accept, and we’re getting them out.”
DEPUTY AG DETAILS ‘MASSIVE UNDERGROUND FRAUD NETWORK’ ALLEGEDLY BEHIND MINNEAPOLIS ANTI-ICE PUSH
The president supported the decision by noting crime is down in Minnesota, crediting his administration for deporting numerous illegal immigrants.
“Crime in all cities is down,” he said. “And you know why it’s down? It’s down because of us. It’s down in Chicago by 25%, despite the fact that we are always dealing with these people, and they happen to be Democrats, that don’t know anything about crime prevention.”
Trump’s comments come amid ongoing anti-immigration enforcement riots, spurred by the fatal shootings of Minneapolis residents Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents.
TRUMP VOWS NOT TO HELP BLUE CITIES WITH RIOTS, INSTRUCTS ICE AND BORDER PATROL TO PROTECT FEDERAL PROPERTY
When asked by Llamas what was learned through the immigration crackdown, Trump suggested his administration could take a more gentle approach.
“I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch, but you still have to be tough,” the president said. “We’re dealing with really hard criminals. But look … I’ve called the governor [Tim Walz], I called the mayor [Jacob Frey], spoke to [them], had great conversations with them. And then I see them ranting and raving out there, literally as though a call wasn’t made.”
The White House declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Walz and Frey have continued to accuse the administration of violating citizens’ constitutional rights by targeting minorities, conducting warrantless searches and weaponizing the Department of Justice, demanding ICE leave the blue state.
State and local leaders nationwide have joined in solidarity, requesting federal law enforcement also cease immigration enforcement operations in their jurisdictions.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.